Maup Martens (Feyenoord)

15 June 2025

“Everything has to run all year round, and that just can’t work!”

Seated neatly in the stands, an engaging conversation with Maup Martens, one of the scouts with an impressive 43-year history at Feyenoord. At 77 years old, he is still active—not only in scouting but also in team management, including trips abroad. “Everything from 6 to 60!” he jokes.

Martens considers the Marveldtoernooi one of the finest tournaments in the Netherlands and Europe. It’s well organized, but this Sunday morning, he finds the quality of play somewhat disappointing. “Typical Southern European combative football,” he says. When asked about the talents he has scouted, the name Giovanni van Bronckhorst comes up immediately. Due to the penalty shootout between Palmeiras and FC Barcelona, the conversation pauses and no other names are mentioned for a moment.

Level of Play

“Of course, you see the top of the Netherlands, Europe, and even the world at this tournament. That’s great for the players. They come into contact with so much at a young age that, by the end of the season, they’re very tired and the level of play just isn’t good. Feyenoord and Ajax almost literally fall apart here!”

Martens is also critical: “Because you see that everything gets organized after the season when it should actually be vacation time. These players don’t get the necessary rest. Structure is missing, and big money plays a role—especially now that the Arabs are getting involved with the game. And this applies worldwide. Everything has to keep going all year round, and that just can’t work!”